


Hold Me Tight

by CloudAtlas



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-17
Updated: 2013-04-17
Packaged: 2017-12-08 18:37:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/764698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloudAtlas/pseuds/CloudAtlas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They are in the situation room Tony had set up in Stark Tower. Because Tony didn’t trust SHIELD to tell them everything they needed to know, especially when it came to the wellbeing of one of their own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hold Me Tight

**Author's Note:**

> I guess... I guess this is for Boston. And everywhere else where horrible things have happened and people lose others. Stay safe.

They are in the situation room Tony had set up in Stark Tower. Because Tony didn’t trust SHIELD to tell them everything they needed to know, especially when it came to the wellbeing of one of their own.  
  
Natasha had been in Recife on a drug cartel op. Tony had all her wire taps and any other surveillance he could feasibly hack into as soon as the word had come through that her cover had been blown. How, no one knew, but they were damned if they were going to let SHIELD hold all the cards. Tony had even offered to fly Clint straight there, but Clint, stoic and impassive expression hiding what everyone knew to be almost blind panic, had argued that anything done by any one of them here would likely just compromise Natasha further. They were better off staying here until they had enough information to tell if any interference would be anything other than detrimental.  
  
It had been three days: three days of CCTV loops and fuzzy wire taps and – terrifyingly – muffled gunshots from half a world away. Three days before the word came through that Natasha had got out, that she’d managed to flee Brazil.  
  
Everyone could see the tension drain from Clint as soon as the news came through. Fury said she’d be in New York in two days’ time, and that she’d have to be debriefed at HQ before returning to the tower.  
  
Everyone knew that wasn’t going to happen.  
  
JARVIS announced Natasha’s arrival 42 hours later, and the mad scramble of people trying to get down to the common area was only halted when Clint, wrenching open the door to the main rec area, came face to face with the wide green eyes of Natasha.  
  
All movement in the room stopped as Clint and Natasha stared at each other, inches apart yet not touching. Steve, Tony, Pepper and Bruce suddenly all felt as though they should leave; leave these two to reaffirm that they were both, in fact, alive – that they hadn’t lost each other. But equally, they didn’t want to move in case they drew attention to themselves. So they watched. Watched as Clint quickly checked Natasha for injuries without moving at all. Watched as they each made abortive movements with their hands to reach out to each other, before each pressing their right hands against the others hearts. Watched as their left hands came up to grip the others elbow, their bodies mirroring each other perfectly.  
  
And when their palms slid up and around – when their silent conversation was over and they dropped their heads onto the others shoulders, pressing their faces into each others necks and gripping so tight that their knuckles went white – Steve, Tony, Pepper and Bruce knew that it was going to be alright.  
  
This time.


End file.
